“(Toronto FC's) going to throw the kitchen sink at us," New York Red Bull midfielder Tim Cahill told reporters in New York this week, suggesting that TFC's league-worst record will see it throw caution to the wind tonight at Red Bull Arena.

Lucky for the uber-prepared Australian international, Toronto's kitchen has already been bandaged up, dismantled and packed away for the season.

"If you want to be hypercritical then be hypercritical," Mariner said of TFC's winless stretch of 10 MLS contests. "We've probably got about 70% of our salary cap on the treatment table, which is never a good thing."

On Thursday, that number inched up when Toronto's bench boss announced that Designated Player Eric Hassli, who was brought in following a season-ending injury to Designated Player Danny Koevermans, will likely miss the rest of the season with an ankle injury.

Excuses? Sure, but excuses that shouldn't be completely ignored.

Add Torsten Frings, Stefan Frei, Doneil Henry and Milos Kocic, who will miss tonight's match due to family concerns, to the list and injuries have made what was already a shockingly poor team close to unwatchable.

And with New York in need of points to solidify a top five -- playoff -- place in the Eastern Conference next month, a club that's only lost once in the Big Apple this season could turn tonight's test into a one-sided affair.

"A lot of teams are stretched," Mariner said of TFC's injury concerns throughout the season. "You can see that we've still got a lot of fight in us so people can judge the way that they want to judge. The reality of the fact is that you see it first hand. You can make your valid judgments as well as everyone else."

The Reds received a bit of a reprieve following their resounding -- but close to meaningless -- Champions League group stage win in El Salvador midweek as Richard Eckersley passed fitness tests Friday after taking a jolt to the head during last week's loss in L.A.

Along the same lines, after missing TFC's Champions League match against Aguila due to fatigue, Darren O'Dea is set to return tonight to do battle with the likes of Thierry Henry and Cahill, two of the league's marquee attackers.

"Two top quality players," O'Dea said of the Henry-Cahill pairing. "We faced that against L.A. and it's not going to get any easier against New York. It's something you look forward to as a player."

To combat the two talents, Mariner addressed how the Reds will set up at Red Bull Arena, hinting the club's direct tactics will remain in place under current conditions -- something supporters have groaned about throughout Toronto's troubling MLS skid.

"You can only play a certain way with the players you've got for selection," he said. "We're trying to put formations in where we can be competitive and get results. The beautiful game at the present moment is a vision."

But the only thing in sight is the end of October at present moment, the only vision supporters can wrap their heads around in TFC's tumultuous sixth season.

TFC @ NEW YORK RED BULLS -- GOL TV 7ET

Marquee Matchup

Darren O’Dea vs. Thierry Henry

Since joining Toronto FC at the beginning of August, the Reds have yet to win with O’Dea in the lineup. Already suffering through a number of last-minute guttings during his short time at the club, things won’t get easier for Toronto’s Irish centre back tonight. Despite benefitting from Richard Eckersley’s exhaustive work rate next to him, O’Dea and the rest of TFC’s back four have been under constant heat due to the substandard midfield in front of them. With rookie Aaron Maund assuming Julian de Guzman’s vacated role in midfield, there hasn’t been much of a buffer between opposing attackers and TFC’s embattled back four – and that means Henry and Tim Cahill will likely run wild if TFC’s management doesn’t get things right from the first whistle.

TFC Keys

CLINICAL COUNTERS – The Reds had no business cutting the Galaxy's three-goal lead to 3-2 late in the second half last weekend. They did it by scoring on the only two quality chances they created all night. As chances will be few and far between, TFC must score given the rare opportunity to counter against a superior side.

HALL THE WALL – It’s no secret that New York will see its fair share of chances. In place of Milos Kocic, Freddy Hall will need to make a few game-changing saves if the Reds are to have a chance. More importantly, he needs to prevent the gaffes we’ve seen in recent weeks.

Notes

On 18 losses with four games to go, the Reds are looking to avoid becoming just the third non-expansion team in MLS history to lose 20-plus games. Before D.C. United accomplished the feat in 2010, the Tampa Bay Mutiny lost 21 times in 2001 … Toronto played the Red Bulls to rather dull 1-1 draw in Toronto in June, with the two sides exchanging goals before the 10th minute.